Wireless terminals in a wireless communications system supporting uplink traffic, e.g., uplink user data, from the wireless terminals to the base stations need to use uplink air link resources to both communicate control information and user data. In multiple access wireless communications systems, typically, multiple wireless terminals using a base station attachment point are competing for valuable uplink air link resources, e.g., uplink traffic channel air link resources. One approach to partitioning uplink traffic channel resources is for the wireless terminals to send resource requests to their current base station attachment point, and for the base station to consider the competing requests and allocate the resources, e.g., uplink traffic channel segments, in accordance with its scheduling rules.
Individual wireless terminals have different needs for uplink traffic channel resources at different times, e.g., depending on a variety of factors such as the type(s) of user data to be communicated, e.g., voice, image data, Web browser information, data files, etc., latency requirements, predetermined data groupings, and/or priority levels.
A single size uplink traffic channel request report is not well suited to efficiently communicate a wide range of uplink traffic channel request information. A large bit size request report represents a large amount of overhead for a single report, and therefore is typically infrequently communicated, which can be a serious disadvantage where latency is an important consideration. In addition in applications where the range of requests is very limited, e.g., each request is typically for one or two frames, it can be wasteful to dedicate a large number of bits to a single request report. At the other extreme a small size uplink request report is not well suited for applications where, at a given point in time, a large amount of request information may need to be communicated.
Based on the above discussion, it should be appreciated that there is a need for methods and apparatus which implement an uplink traffic channel resource request structure which is accommodating to a wide range of type of wireless terminals and blend of applications. There is also a need for at least some methods and apparatus which can efficiently communicate the varying needs of individual wireless terminals for uplink traffic channel resources. Methods and apparatus which balance information report size and the frequency of reporting would be beneficial. Methods and apparatus which support the maintenance of multiple uplink traffic channel request groups and/or communication of multiple uplink traffic channel request group backlog information would also be beneficial.